Barama to loan/ lend equipment to small loggers to increase production- Min Bharrat

A machinery at the Barama Timber Company Ltd. which is used to move lumber from one location to the other 

Guyanese small loggers especially those in Regions 1, 6 and 10 are expected to benefit tremendously as Guyana and Barbados begin collaboration and cooperation to look at mutual business interests. This was underscored by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharat during a recent interview with BIG Smith News Watch.

The Minister spoke following a visit recently to the Barama Timber Company on the East Bank Demerara, by Barbados Minister of Housing, Planning and Maintenance Dr. William Duguld and an accompanying team from that country recently.

The visit to Guyana followed an engagement between President Irfan Ali and Prime Minister Mia Mottley where areas of interest and business cooperation were discussed.

“The (Barbados) Minister of Housing is actually looking at the possibility of procuring building materials from Guyana especially Plywood, lumber, sand and aggregates. These are all materials that there is an interest to source and procure from Guyana and at the same time we are looking to bring cement and maybe limestones and other products that are not available here locally” Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat told BIG Smith News Watch.

According to the minister, bringing the items from Barbados will also be cheaper for Guyana as he also added that the cooperation between the two countries will see the provision of employment for citizens on both ends.

Minister Vickram Bharrat (left) Barama GM (middle) and Barbados Housing Minister tour Barama Company

“It will create more business opportunities for our small businesses here, especially small loggers. As you are aware, Barama produces Plywood. They actually deal with most of the small loggers in Region 10, Region 1 and Region 6. What they will now do is they will give advance and also loan or lend equipment to these small loggers so that they can increase production… the market is available because Barama would purchase those logs from them” Minister Bharrat explained.

He further explained that the approach will multiple into tremendous benefits for the small loggers in those regions (mentioned above).

BIG Smith News Watch was told that on the issue of sand, loom and aggregates, there is even more potential as Guyana has recently issued a number of new licenses for quarry operations. He said when it comes to aggregates, there is a shortage presently on the local market and that is because of the construction boom in both the public and private sectors.

“That is coupled with what is taking place (construction) within the oil and gas sector. Right now we are importing aggregates from Suriname. By next year, early next year… we expect that some of the new operators will start producing. They would have pledged that production would start early next year so we are hoping that we can produce enough to satisfy the local market and to export to neighboring countries such as Barbados and other countries in the Caribbean” stated the Guyanese minister as he underscored the importance of the collaboration between Guyana and Barbados.

Minister Bharrat described the recent visit by the Barbados team as one that will bear fruits for both countries and that is exactly what both Heads of State are looking for as they seek to foster and build the kind of relationship that represents why Caricom was formed in the first place.